[teampractices] [FYI] Planning offsites

Discussion:

Kevin Smith

2016-08-19 22:33:04 UTC

I have posted a draft page[1] which will evolve into a checklist and linky
portal, to help guide how to plan and run an offsite. It is a very early
work in progress, but I hope to flesh it out substantially over the next
week or two. At that point, I'll declare the related phab task[2] done. If
you feel motivated to contribute, feel free to add to the checklist, or
comment on the talk page.

As a side note, there are other initiatives in the foundation also aimed at
documenting or improving the processes for offsites. This (TPG) part will
focus mostly on the content and outcomes.

[1] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Team_Practices_Group/Planning_offsites
[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138777

Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation

Joel Aufrecht

2016-08-22 19:09:39 UTC

Permalink

Is there documentation or tracking tasks or home pages for the other
initiatives? What are they focusing on?

*-- Joel Aufrecht*
Team Practices Group
Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Kevin Smith
I have posted a draft page[1] which will evolve into a checklist and linky
portal, to help guide how to plan and run an offsite. It is a very early
work in progress, but I hope to flesh it out substantially over the next
week or two. At that point, I'll declare the related phab task[2] done. If
you feel motivated to contribute, feel free to add to the checklist, or
comment on the talk page.
As a side note, there are other initiatives in the foundation also aimed
at documenting or improving the processes for offsites. This (TPG) part
will focus mostly on the content and outcomes.
[1] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Team_Practices_Group/Planning_offsites
[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138777
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation
_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices

Kevin Smith

2016-08-22 20:24:09 UTC

Permalink

My understanding is that the main other initiative is coming from Finance,
and is focused on spending donor money wisely for group travel (including
but not limited to offsites). It includes travel, admin, and c-levels. They
seem to be in kind of a planning and fact-finding phase right now.

Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Joel Aufrecht
Is there documentation or tracking tasks or home pages for the other
initiatives? What are they focusing on?
*-- Joel Aufrecht*
Team Practices Group
Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Kevin Smith
I have posted a draft page[1] which will evolve into a checklist and
linky portal, to help guide how to plan and run an offsite. It is a very
early work in progress, but I hope to flesh it out substantially over the
next week or two. At that point, I'll declare the related phab task[2]
done. If you feel motivated to contribute, feel free to add to the
checklist, or comment on the talk page.
As a side note, there are other initiatives in the foundation also aimed
at documenting or improving the processes for offsites. This (TPG) part
will focus mostly on the content and outcomes.
[1] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Team_Practices_Group/Planning_offsites
[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138777
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation
_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices

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Geeta Kavathekar

2016-08-25 21:55:54 UTC

Permalink

I just wanted to share my experience from also organizing and facilitating
global team meetings generally held in Asia. For the generation of ideas we
used the "World Cafe" method. It was good especially to give team members
that may not feel so comfortable speaking due fluency and/or personality a
chance to voice their ideas.

http://www.theworldcafe.com/key-concepts-resources/world-cafe-method/

For the "getting agreement" when we were in a smaller group trying
consolidate and prioritize we used a rubber ball to different team members
and when they had the ball it was their chance to speak. It was the
person's (who had the ball) decision on who to throw the ball to next and
again allowed people to speak and no one person to monopolize the
conversation. It also made it fun and lively!

We also used the Covey Important and Urgent Matrix to prioritize and then
finally I had 2-3 buckets and people voted by placing a paper with the
items they thought were the priorities.

Post by Kevin Smith
My understanding is that the main other initiative is coming from Finance,
and is focused on spending donor money wisely for group travel (including
but not limited to offsites). It includes travel, admin, and c-levels. They
seem to be in kind of a planning and fact-finding phase right now.
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Joel Aufrecht
Is there documentation or tracking tasks or home pages for the other
initiatives? What are they focusing on?
*-- Joel Aufrecht*
Team Practices Group
Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Kevin Smith
I have posted a draft page[1] which will evolve into a checklist and
linky portal, to help guide how to plan and run an offsite. It is a very
early work in progress, but I hope to flesh it out substantially over the
next week or two. At that point, I'll declare the related phab task[2]
done. If you feel motivated to contribute, feel free to add to the
checklist, or comment on the talk page.
As a side note, there are other initiatives in the foundation also aimed
at documenting or improving the processes for offsites. This (TPG) part
will focus mostly on the content and outcomes.
[1] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Team_Practices_Group/Planning
_offsites
[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138777
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation
_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices

_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices

Kevin Smith

2016-08-25 23:17:55 UTC

Permalink

Thanks for those ideas. I added them to the page. Anyone is free to add
their ideas, and I can always edit them or move them around if necessary.

Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Geeta Kavathekar
I just wanted to share my experience from also organizing and facilitating
global team meetings generally held in Asia. For the generation of ideas we
used the "World Cafe" method. It was good especially to give team members
that may not feel so comfortable speaking due fluency and/or personality a
chance to voice their ideas.
http://www.theworldcafe.com/key-concepts-resources/world-cafe-method/
For the "getting agreement" when we were in a smaller group trying
consolidate and prioritize we used a rubber ball to different team members
and when they had the ball it was their chance to speak. It was the
person's (who had the ball) decision on who to throw the ball to next and
again allowed people to speak and no one person to monopolize the
conversation. It also made it fun and lively!
We also used the Covey Important and Urgent Matrix to prioritize and then
finally I had 2-3 buckets and people voted by placing a paper with the
items they thought were the priorities.

Post by Kevin Smith
My understanding is that the main other initiative is coming from
Finance, and is focused on spending donor money wisely for group travel
(including but not limited to offsites). It includes travel, admin, and
c-levels. They seem to be in kind of a planning and fact-finding phase
right now.
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Joel Aufrecht
Is there documentation or tracking tasks or home pages for the other
initiatives? What are they focusing on?
*-- Joel Aufrecht*
Team Practices Group
Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Kevin Smith
I have posted a draft page[1] which will evolve into a checklist and
linky portal, to help guide how to plan and run an offsite. It is a very
early work in progress, but I hope to flesh it out substantially over the
next week or two. At that point, I'll declare the related phab task[2]
done. If you feel motivated to contribute, feel free to add to the
checklist, or comment on the talk page.
As a side note, there are other initiatives in the foundation also
aimed at documenting or improving the processes for offsites. This (TPG)
part will focus mostly on the content and outcomes.
[1] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Team_Practices_Group/Planning
_offsites
[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138777
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation
_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices

_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices

Geeta Kavathekar

2016-08-26 02:00:50 UTC

Permalink

Thanks, Kevin!

Post by Kevin Smith
Thanks for those ideas. I added them to the page. Anyone is free to add
their ideas, and I can always edit them or move them around if necessary.
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation
On Thu, Aug 25, 2016 at 2:55 PM, Geeta Kavathekar <

Post by Geeta Kavathekar
I just wanted to share my experience from also organizing and
facilitating global team meetings generally held in Asia. For the
generation of ideas we used the "World Cafe" method. It was good especially
to give team members that may not feel so comfortable speaking due fluency
and/or personality a chance to voice their ideas.
http://www.theworldcafe.com/key-concepts-resources/world-cafe-method/
For the "getting agreement" when we were in a smaller group trying
consolidate and prioritize we used a rubber ball to different team members
and when they had the ball it was their chance to speak. It was the
person's (who had the ball) decision on who to throw the ball to next and
again allowed people to speak and no one person to monopolize the
conversation. It also made it fun and lively!
We also used the Covey Important and Urgent Matrix to prioritize and then
finally I had 2-3 buckets and people voted by placing a paper with the
items they thought were the priorities.

Post by Kevin Smith
My understanding is that the main other initiative is coming from
Finance, and is focused on spending donor money wisely for group travel
(including but not limited to offsites). It includes travel, admin, and
c-levels. They seem to be in kind of a planning and fact-finding phase
right now.
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Joel Aufrecht
Is there documentation or tracking tasks or home pages for the other
initiatives? What are they focusing on?
*-- Joel Aufrecht*
Team Practices Group
Wikimedia Foundation

Post by Kevin Smith
I have posted a draft page[1] which will evolve into a checklist and
linky portal, to help guide how to plan and run an offsite. It is a very
early work in progress, but I hope to flesh it out substantially over the
next week or two. At that point, I'll declare the related phab task[2]
done. If you feel motivated to contribute, feel free to add to the
checklist, or comment on the talk page.
As a side note, there are other initiatives in the foundation also
aimed at documenting or improving the processes for offsites. This (TPG)
part will focus mostly on the content and outcomes.
[1] https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Team_Practices_Group/Planning
_offsites
[2] https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T138777
Kevin Smith
Agile Coach, Wikimedia Foundation
_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices

_______________________________________________
teampractices mailing list
https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/teampractices